Small Bathroom Design

Your small bathroom might be bigger than you think

If you have a small bathroom like I do then you may be wondering
how you can remodel it to get better use out of it. This is where
I found myself not so long ago when I was trying to figure out how
to spice up my own tiny bathroom. I needed to find a small bathroom
design idea that included a shower enclosure that I'd never had before
and give the whole room a facelift at the same time.

At first I thought that it was impossible because my small bathroom
seemed to be cramped as it was, how would I ever make room for a new
shower cubicle? Well after a lot of thought and many visits to
showrooms and friends bathrooms I set about designing small bathroom
plans and eventually came up with a solution.

The remainder of this article contains a list of tips that I picked
up during my remodeling project. I used some of these tips in my
small bathroom design.

The difference between physical space and the illusion of space

There is a big difference between a bathroom that has plenty of physical
space and one, which simply looks big. If you have a bathroom with lots of
physical space then you are able to fit pretty much whatever you like into it.

Some bathrooms are designed to give the illusion of space but this does
nothing to help you to fit new fixtures into the room. Such illusions
are very important however because they affect the way that you feel when
you use the room. A room with a cramped feeling will never be as nice as a
room that feels open and airy.

Illusions are very powerful things. A large bathroom with lots of physical
space can still feel cramped while a small bathroom designed with the illusion
in mind can feel open and relaxed. Bear this in mind when you design your new
bathroom.

Decorate a small bathroom with ceramic tiles

Light coloured ceramic tiles from floor to ceiling on every wall can help to
give you the illusion of space. This effect will be more pronounced if you
use large tiles.

I did this with my bathroom after spending a long time deciding on how much
of the bathroom should be tiled and how much should be painted. I am more
than pleased with the result and I'm confident that you will be too.

A major influencing factor in this decision was the cost of the ceramic tiles,
which can be quite high. By sticking to standard, light coloured tiles and
shopping around we were able to find something that looked great for a very
reasonable price.

Use mirrors but don't overdo it

Using mirrors to give the feeling of space is simple yet very effective.
Don't be tempted to install too many mirrors though because the effect can
become overwhelming if you're not careful. Never put mirrors on opposite walls.

Use a shower enclosure with clear sides

Always use shower enclosures and shower screens with clear sides. This gives
the illusion of more space in the rest of the bathroom.

Use simple light colours

Dark colours will make your bathroom feel dull and lifeless so stick with
light pastel shades to give it a warm inviting atmosphere. I used mostly
white with a sky blue design which worked very well.

Use natural light if you can

Natural light is great if you can get it. If you are lucky enough to have a
window in your bathroom then make the most of it. If you have a skylight in
your bathroom this is even better. Providing natural light only gives the
illusion of space but it can make the bathroom very inviting.

Pedestal or wall mounted sink

Using a washbasin mounted on the wall or on a pedestal will save a lot of
floor space in comparison with a built in vanity unit. This can be very
useful space but you may have to compensate for the lack of a vanity unit
by providing adequate storage elsewhere.

Floating cupboards

A floating cupboard is one that is mounted to the wall and doesn't take up
any floor space. You should aim to have adequate storage space to ensure
that there is no excuse for things to clutter up the bathroom floor or other
surfaces. This is especially important if you don't have a vanity unit with
storage space.

High windows and skylights

It isn't always practical to start moving windows and adding skylights but
if you do have that option you should make sure that the windows are high so
that they don't get in the way of fixtures you might want to put below them.

Go deep with the bathtub not long

Depending on how small your bathroom is you might want to design in a bathtub
that takes up less floor space. If you go that way make sure that you get a
bathtub that has some depth. That way you can still have a relaxing soak even
if you can't stretch out in it.

Steer clear of corner bathtubs because they are likely to take up more room
rather than less.

A toilet shelf

The wall behind the toilet is often unused space so it's the perfect place to
put a shelf or a cupboard. This should help with the storage space problem.

Sliding doors

A door that opens into the room will deprive you of some floor space because
you have to have room to open the door fully. Using a sliding door can solve
this problem. Doors can slide against the wall or better still, inside a cavity
wall, which will recover all the space lost to the door opening.

I was unable to use this approach in my small bathroom remodeling because I
didn't have a suitable wall but I did look into it.

Curved quadrant shower enclosures

In any small bathroom design shower arrangements must be thought about very
carefully. If you are including a shower cubicle then consider a curved
quadrant design. These cubicles are flat on 2 sides with a curve to complete
the enclosure. They save a lot of useful space in the rest of the bathroom
because they eliminate the fourth corner of the enclosure, which often gets
in the way. A curved quadrant shower cubicle worked well in my small
bathroom design.

Use the door for hanging towels or robes

If you still have a conventional door in your new small bathroom design then
make the most of it by putting a towel rail or a robe hook or both on it. This
could save you wall space elsewhere.

Lift the radiator off the floor

Radiators are often found taking up floor space when they don't need to. Move
it to a higher position. I moved mine over the end of the bathtub, which was a
good compromise.

Combine the radiator with a heated towel rail

If you choose the right type of radiator then you can also use it as a towel
rail. Not only will you save space by eliminating the rail, you will also get
lovely warm towels to use.

Shower screens that fold away

If you have no other alternative than to shower in the bath then you might
want to use a shower screen rather than a shower curtain. If you do, look for
a shower screen that folds away when it's not in use.

I hope that the tips provided here have been of use to you and that your small
bathroom design is as successful as mine has been.

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